First Invasion of Darnassus
The First Invasion of Darnassus was an assault on the night elf capital city of Darnassus. Spearheaded by the Blacktooth Grin and aided by a variety of allied forces, battle was joined on 19 May 2007. The Darnassus campaign remains one of the larger unified forces mustered by the Horde in their attacks against the Alliance. Force Composition The Blacktooth Grin mustered both a vanguard force and an elite strike force. The vanguard operated within the main strike force, and was under the command of Grimnir Frostwolf, who remained in overall command of the operation. The strike force, comprised of a handful of truly elite Grin warriors, preceded the main force and swept minor opposition out of the way. Warchief Gorfrunch Smashblade led this group. Allies A large number of allied forces assisted the Blacktooth Grin in their assault. Most notably this included House Suncrown, fielded an army under the command of Velurian Suncrown, and the Thunderlord Clan fielded a similarly-sized army, commanded by their Chieftan, Zamarak. Numerous smaller clans, organizations, and other guilds provided support for the attack as well. Preparation The army gathered in secret, deep beneath the ocean to the west of the regrown World Tree. Shamans, warlocks, and others were called upon to bestow their gift of unending breath to all combatants, and the entire army (easily 100+) was able to muster in relative secrecy, a mere 60-second swim from the shores of Rut'theran Village. Attack The attack proceeded exactly as it had been planned. The strike force, led by Warchief Smashblade, struck Rut'theran with swift ferocity, quickly opening a direct route to the portal that controlled access to the top of the tree. The entire army quickly moved through, and again the strike force took the lead, efficiently hacking a path through the Night Elf defenses leading directly to their Temple of the Moon. The remainder of the army followed close on their heels, careful not to disturb too much of the city. Once inside the Temple, Horde forces pushed to the top floor, where they were able to defeat the Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind. The Priestess of the Moon vanquished, a quick conference ensued. Officers quickly concluded that a second strike at the Arch Druid Fandral Staghelm would be possible, so once again, the strike force was sent on ahead. After a path to the Cenarion Enclave had been cleared - and now facing significant resistance from Alliance forces rushing to the city - the army moved into the Enclave, climbed to the top, and defeated the druid. The campaign complete and Darnassus sacked, Horde forces withdrew from Teldrassil and made their way to Silvermoon City, where they celebrated into the night. Analysis The Horde's overwhelming victory in this campaign can be attributed to a remarkable amount of discipline in the common rank and file. A single soldier who disobeyed orders and drifted out into the city proper could have proven disastrous - but group leaders did a phenomenal job in keeping their forces disciplined and under control. Special commendation must be given to Gorfrunch and his strike force - they were flawless in their sweeping and engaged in a magnificent protracted battle to hold the ground floor of the Temple of the Moon, where Alliance forces were portalling in. All in all, the Invasion of Darnassus was a clear and dominant victory for the Horde, and a reminder to the world at large that tensions had only just begun to escalate. Category:Stories Category:Battles